Michigan’s second exhibition had plenty to like, and the box score backed that up.
The Wolverines beat Oregon State 98-93 at Crisler Center on Friday, surviving a physical, back-and-forth game against a Beavers team coached by former Michigan assistant Justin Joyner. Trey McKenney fouled out with five fouls, Roddy Gayle Jr. sat out for the second straight game as the Wolverines continue working through his eligibility, and Michigan still found enough answers to win.
The biggest concern showed up on the glass. Oregon State brought size, including three players over seven feet and two in its starting lineup, and the Beavers finished with a 37-29 rebounding edge.
That’s the kind of number Michigan will want to clean up before facing bigger opponents. Moustapha Thiam was the bright spot inside, leading all players with 10 rebounds while also scoring 19 points.
The center looks like a real force on the boards, and when he’s on the floor, he changes the math for Michigan. If he misses time, though, the Wolverines could have a hard time matching up with bigger teams on the glass.
Elliot Cadeau took over the game when Michigan needed him most. After a rough first half in which he was held to one point and spent time dealing with foul trouble alongside McKenney, Cadeau exploded after the break.
He scored 26 of his 27 points in the second half, shot just one three-pointer, and kept putting pressure on the defense by attacking the lane and drawing fouls. He finished 11-of-13 from the line in the second half and looked like the player who could carry a big scoring load for Michigan this season.
The other number that jumped off the page was Michigan’s work in transition and off mistakes. The Wolverines only turned it over seven times, while Oregon State gave it away 17 times.
Michigan turned those miscues into 31 points off turnovers, and that kind of opportunistic play gave the Wolverines the edge in a game Oregon State still had chances to steal. With McKenney, Cadeau, and Thiam all capable of scoring, Michigan’s defense and ability to cash in on mistakes could end up being just as important this season as its offensive firepower.
In Other News...
Michigans Offensive Line Just Became A Real Penn State Concern
Michigans injury report entering the Penn State game adds another layer of uncertainty to a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. The Wolverines offensive line, in particular, looks like the area under the most pressure, with the list of players out, doubtful or questionable growing from what it had been earlier in the week. For a team that wants to control the line of scrimmage, that kind of turnover up front can change the feel of the entire offense before a snap is even taken.
Jake Guarnera and Brady Norton being listed as questionable is the part Penn State will be watching most closely, because it keeps Michigans protection and run-game plans from feeling settled. There is at least some precedent for those designations not ending in absences, since players such as Dom Nichols and John Henry Daley were questionable in prior games and still managed to play. Even so, the uncertainty leaves Michigan with real lineup decisions to sort through and gives Penn State reason to think the Wolverines front might not be at full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Gets A Different Penn State Test Than Anyone Expected
Penn State came into the season with the kind of profile that usually makes for a difficult November opponent: a new coach in Matt Campbell, enough continuity in the program to think about the College Football Playoff, and a schedule that looked manageable on paper. Instead, the Nittany Lions have stumbled into a three-game losing streak, with the latest setback coming in a late loss to Wisconsin after a road trip to USC already deepened the concern around where this team is headed.
The most jarring result may have been the one at Northwestern, where Penn State could not answer a strong rushing attack and wound up in a multi-score defeat, something that has not been common for the program in recent seasons. For Michigan, that changes the texture of this matchup a bit. It is still a name opponent, but it is not quite the version of Penn State anyone expected when the schedule was made. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans First Big Ten Win May Depend On Two Lingering Problems
Michigan heads into its matchup with Penn State still searching for its first Big Ten win, and the path to getting one has been shaped by the same issues that have lingered through the conference opener stretch. The Wolverines have had trouble generating consistent production on the ground, which has made it harder to control games the way they usually want to, and that leaves some room for adjustment as they prepare for a Penn State team dealing with its own offensive frustrations.
Penn State has leaned more heavily on quarterback Rocco Becht because its running game has not provided enough help, and that puts more pressure on both lines of scrimmage to decide the game. Michigans outlook also comes with a defensive concern, since injuries to key players could affect its pass rush, adding another layer of uncertainty to a matchup where one clean answer on either side may be enough to swing the result. [Read more 🡒]